An important feature of basement windows relates to admit daylight in the basement of a building by defining an opening space around such sub-grade windows. Additionally, most building codes in North America require that dwellings include an emergency egress, such as an egress window, for each habitable room, including the one inhabited in the basement.
However, an important disadvantage of basement windows extending below the ground level is that they can be prone to seepage of infiltrating surface water runoff around and through the interface of the windows and their frame. There is thus a need to drain efficiently the surface water runoff from the area surrounding basement windows to the foundation drain or any other mean to evacuate the water.
Window wells address the needs and requirements specified hereinabove. In its basic configuration, the basement window is enclosed within a retaining wall which further confines the soil to form a well area which extends below the lower level of the window frame opening. Commonly, the window well area defines a dry well filled with stones, wherein the surface water runoff is drained gravitationally until it reaches the foundation drain on its bottom end.
However, such window wells require a minimum of maintenance in order to prevent the clogging of the window well area. Moreover, the presence of expansive soils in the surrounding environment may inflict structural damages to window wells, as well as to foundation walls. Once clogged or impaired, window wells can no longer evacuate surface water runoff through the foundation drain, and the accumulation of water nearby the basement windows may cause imminent water infiltration predicament.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved window well drainage system which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.